The Power of The Spoken Word

You may not know Benjamin Smith, who will be our featured speaker at the Young Adult coffee house on Sunday, January 18. So here, in his own words, is a little bit about him:

In general I love watching over-comer movies like "The Pursuit of Happiness", "Remember the Giants", and "Bravehart." What I like about Bravehart is how one man made such a different in the lives of so many people through his passion and determination.

I enjoy wrestling and football. I used to wrestle in high school. I also enjoy lifting weights and exercise at the gym.

A teaser for January's coffee house discussion: The words we speak will put us under or put us over in life and will either prevent us or help us in receiving God's best in our life. Proverbs 18:21 says "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Do you need a break through in your life? Victory over a situation? Learn how to apply faith filled words to every circumstance in your life.

If you are interested in more information about the topic, check out the 2 titles in the right margin on my "book shelf".

Window or mirror?

Please head over to Cindy Janzyck's blog to read a very interesting article on Paul's thoughts recorded in the Bible in 1 Corinthians.

Cindy will be the featured speaker at the Young Adult Winter Retreat January 9 - 11, 2009.

Country Music's Finest

For the longest time I was not a country music fan; everything I heard sounded the same: twangy. But recently, I got sick of hearing about politics & the economy on the news station I typically tune into. So I flipped the dial. I'm so glad I did.

I heard this song by Toby Keith (lyrics below) and it caused me to stop and think. Now, by posting the lyrics to this song, I want to be very clear: I am not suggesting that your new hangout should be in a bar. What I am trying to illustrate, is that the lyrics should reflect the church. Church can be a place where everyone is welcome, where everyone feels known & feels connected. A place where there is diversity and there is unity. I love this church!

We got winners, we got losers, chain smokers and boozers
And we got yuppies, we got bikers, we got thirsty hitchhikers
And the girls next door dress up like movie stars
Mmm-mm, I love this bar

We got cowboys, we got truckers, broken-hearted fools and suckers
We got hustlers, we got fighters, early-birds and all-nighters
And the Veterans talk about their battle scars
Mmm-mm, I love this bar

I love this bar, its my kind of place
Just walkin' through the front door
Puts a big smile on my face
It ain't too far, come as you are
Mmm-mm, I love this bar

I've seen short skirts, we got high-techs, blue collar boys and rednecks
We got lovers, lotsa lookers, I've even seen dancing girls & hookers
And we like to drink our beer from a mason jar
Mmm-mm, I love this bar

I like my truck, I like my girlfriend
I like to take her out to dinner
I like a movie now and then
But... I love this bar!
It's my kind of place
Just twirlin' around the dance floor
Puts a big smile on my face
No cover charge, come as you are
Mmm-mm, I love this bar

God has created us with a longing for community (instead of isolation), we long for a place to belong, a place to be known, a place of comfort, a place of acceptance, a place of diversity. This song is describing what Jesus wants His church (His bride) to be! I enjoy the tune & when I sing along in the car, I change the words from "I love this bar" to "I love this church".

If you were to write a song about church, what aspect(s) would you highlight?

Mark Krieg's Top 5

1. Planet of the Apes Movies (all of them)
2. Sea Monkeys
3. Macintosh Computers
4. iPhone
5. Home Theater (in general)

early mid-life crisis

There is this 13 year old girl who does amazing paintings. Her name is Akiane and you can view her artwork from age 6 to age 13 on her website. Truly amazing.

Sometimes I listen to National Public Radio's broadcast "From the Top" which features talented kids playing classical music. Not only can they play the music on their violin, but when interviewed, they can properly pronounce the name of the piece of music & the composer.

Do you ever feel like you should be doing more with your life? Like somehow, you have already missed your peak?

Occasionally I find myself searching for a little significance for my life. What are my pursuits? My goals? What impact am I having on those goals? Every New Year's Day I take stock of the past year.

What about you? Do you have a 5 or 10 year plan? Do you have an ultimate destination? Are there sacrifices you find yourself having to make along the way? Or is it helpful in eliminating some of the good stuff for the best stuff?

And Can It Be?

Can men have friendships with women? Can women have friendships with men? Oprah Winfrey invited a Rabbi to comment on this. You can read the article here.

Another great article (this one is from Boundless, a Christian Young Adult resource) here

But frankly, I'm more interested in what you think. So, leave a comment & tell me.

And if you're not sure where you weigh in on the topic, we're having 2 great events in October that you won't want to miss:

Cindy Jancyzk is teaching a class on Wednesdays called "Adam Meets Eve".

Also, Jesse and myself will host a discussion on dating Friday, October 17 in the Youth Building at 7:00 pm. Leave a comment/question on dating that we can discuss that night. Hope to see you there.

Down The Road by Katie C

I love the story about Philip and the Ethiopian in Acts 8:26-40! After Philip is led to go to the Desert Road, he notices an Ethiopian in his chariot, traveling home from Jerusalem.

“The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet” (v.29,30).

Philip asked if he understood what he was reading, which led to an opportunity to share the Gospel with the Ethiopian. The man was even baptized before the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away!

Before Philip had the opportunity to share the Gospel, his heart had to be in a position where he could hear from the Lord. The first two steps Philip took in this passage were to 1) hear and 2) obey. Thirdly, he expressed a passion and fervency for obeying the will of God. When the Spirit instructed him to approach the chariot, he ran! He appears eager to see what the Lord is up to. Next, he is quick to become involved with what the Ethiopian is doing, shares the Gospel with him, and baptizes him.

Learning to hear and obey God’s call on my life has been an exciting, and at times, challenging journey. In 2007 He led me to Romania where I had the amazing, heart-breaking, and life-changing opportunity to spend time with babies in a pediatric hospital, children in a gypsy village, prisoners, and street kids. The experience of sharing His love with people in need and seeing His beauty expressed through those kids was an experience I will always treasure. It was amazing, but also very difficult at times; witnessing abandonment and poverty, feeling the attack of the enemy, and some smaller challenges such as jet lag made it difficult but also caused me to grow spiritually and see God’s power revealed as I cried out to Him in the midst of my weaknesses. Soon I will be joining Youth With a Mission to gain further training and experience in missions. I am excited for all that God has in store!

How has God called you to missions? You can be a missionary to your co-workers, family members, neighbors next door, or neighbors across the country or overseas. Draw near to God. Incline your ear to hear Him. Consider the opportunities and adventures that could be waiting down the road for you! Whenever you feel God calling you down the road to your neighbor’s house or out of your comfort zone to another nation, remember the story of Philip and the Ethiopian. Be inspired by Philip’s obedience and the impact it had on the Ethiopian. God has amazing plans in store for those who are willing to join Him in what He is doing!

Katie C is a member of Christ Community and is joining Youth With A Mission for the next 7 months. To read more about her adventures & discoveries, check out her blog: Learning to Climb Moriah

Movies at Messiah College

The great thing about not being a student is that you can go on campus and enjoy being there! I love going to Messiah's campus to walk on the fitness trail, hear a band, or watch movies in their pristine theater for just one dollar.

That's right! For mere change you can see great movies. Visit their website at the beginning of each semester to see what's coming up.

September 26 & 27: Wall-E
October 3 & 4: The Visitor

Where do you get your inspiration?

I have a wonderful story about my brother in Christ, Mark. Sometime, you can ask me and I'll share it with you in person.

I've known Mark for about 5 years now, and I can honestly say that the more I know him the more I love him. I love him when he's sloshed in the spirit. I love him when he's busy. I love it when he is worshiping and I love it when he prays. It goes without saying that I also enjoy talking with him. He's a remarkable person.

When I read this excerpt on his blog (listed under "Rabbit Trails"), I was inspired and challenged:

When I was cleaning up the kitchen yesterday, I thought to ask the Lord to teach me and speak to me. Immediately, this lesson on the Holy Spirit came to me.

My task of the moment was to apply some oil to our new wooden cutting board. As I applied the oil to the board, the lessons were revealed. First, the oil brought forth the beauty in the wood that was hidden only moments before. The light brown surface was transformed into swirls of different rich browns and reds. Second, what was unseen and only hinted at was now completely revealed with surprising clarity. Instead of the dull, flat tan of the wood there was vivid swirls and grain patterns. Thirdly, there was an easy to see difference between what wood was light and which was dark - discernment. The lines between light and dark were clear and there was no halfway. Lastly, the Lord showed me that the oil made the wood impervious to water, stains, and any oils coming from items cut up on the board.

To read the interpretation of this lesson, click here. So my question is, what types of things inspire you? What moves you? Where do you look when you want to raise your thoughts above the daily shuffle?